Ask HN: Do you have a routine that helps you learn new things better?

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I'm somewhat struggling to learn new things outside of work. Partly because I switch between learning so many different topics that I don't see one topic through completion. The other reason being I don't have a set routine that I stick to. I'm wondering if you have experienced this before and if you have any tips to overcome it.

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(Of course I don't know if I am getting better results, but obviously I believe I do.)

I read and highlight stuff in the evening, when my brain is too toasted for high-end productivity. (Please don't read this as adherence to an "early-riser cult"!)

The next morning/day I re-read and take serious "notes." This can mean all sorts of stuff, I mean the first productive step with the material at hand. Most of the time this means taking notes, copying stuff and annotate it for further use.

Step 1: Stop switching topics. You're not learning if you're constantly switching focus.

Step 2: Depends entirely on the nature of what you're trying to learn. Spaced repetition is the canonical approach, which lends itself to some forms of knowledge far better than others. E.g., "learning philosophy" isn't suitable for SR.

Refer to this online course for advice on how to learn better: https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn

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